Illuminated indicator.



S. W. BROWN & W. H. MICHAEL.

ILLUMINATED INDICATOR.

APPLICATION rxmin 113.26, 1913.

m, mwym a N07@ N.

WEM m .M `MH m maw a. 8 v Ni.

1mm, W

WWTF@ @Yiiw'il PATENT @Flillht SAMUEL WALCOTT BROAVN ANI) WILLIAM HENRY MICHAEL, 0F COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, ASSIGNORS OF GNE-THIBD T0 JAMES H. BRUCE, OF COLORADD SPRINGS,

COLORADO.

ILLUMINATED INDICATOR.

i. dieser.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Iatcnted Aug. 11, 111141.

ticularly to a device comprising a telescoping casing carrying the indicator, and a lamp associated with the casing for illumination of the indicator.

An object of the invention is to providev an inexpensive, strong, simple, and easily distinguishable, indicator, the casing of which willl accommodate indicators of different lengths.

The invention consists of the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter. and Jfully set forth in the claim. j

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which like characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views and in which: Figure 1' is an elevation of an einbodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 2 2, Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a cross section on line 3 3, Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is an 'enlarged sectional View showing the structure by mea-ns of Which-the telescoping portions are bound together.

Referringto the drawings, 5 represents a rectangular member, open at both ends, and having also an open face 6. The face 6 has its opening i'jlimited at one end and at the sides thereof by borders forming a part of the face.-

The end of the` rectangular member 5, Where the opening 7 is bordered, is provided with end flanges 8, or any other suitable means, to which the lantern 9 is secured. Engaging the opposite end of the member 5 is a similar rectangular member 10 having one end open, andalso an open. face 11 similarly provided With an -opening 12. The member 10 is of such a size that it engages the member 5 with its open end snugly iit-V ting with its sides 13 and 11 against the sides 15 and 16 of the member 5, and With its back face 17, and its borders adjacent to the sides 13 and 14, against the back face 1S and the borders adjacent the sides 15 and 16 o-i member 5.

The member 5, near the end into Which the member `10 tits, is provided at the sides -15 and 16 with resilient vmembers 19 and 20.

These resilient members are secured in any suitable Way to said sides with the iree ends disposed near the ends-ot' the member 5. The free ends of the resilient members 19 and 20 are each provided With projections 21 wand 22 respectively, each projecting through the sides 15 and 16 of member 5, as shown in Figs. 1 and fi.

The member 10, at its sides 13 and 14C, is provided with a series of depressions 23 at a predetermined distance from each other and in lalinement with the corresponding projections on the resilient members 19 and 20. The depressions 23, formed in the sides 13 and 14, are so inclined that when the member 10 is forced to telescope into the member 5 the depressed. portion of the side will force the projections 21 and 22 up and permit the member 10 to slide into the member 5 untill the following depressions register with the projections on the resilient members, which, again, by forcing in, will pass to the following one, etc. But if the member 10 is to be telescoped out oi' member 5, the projections 21 and 22 will abut against the edge Jformed in the sides 13 and 1:1- by the depressions 23 and prevent the 4sliding of the casing 10 out of the casing The purpose of this will appear hereinafter.

.Flexible means 2e are provided at the sides 15 and 16 near the end Where the lantern 9 is fixedin the member 5, and also in the sides 13 and 111, near the ends thereoit .of member 10. The 'flexible members 24 are positioned near the openings of the open face, so that aground glass 25, fitting snugly between'the sides 13 andlli of member 10,

is forced against the borders of the members not telescope out one from the other due to Cil the engagement of the prrijections 21 and 22 with the depressions 23, ab before described.

The ground glass has7 preferably, the reference characters, as, for example, the license number andthe State, indicated in dead black on the ground surface. The back faces 17 and 1S of the twomembers 10 and 5 are painted white; and the lantern 9 has, preferably, an opening Ias wide as the member itself, throwing light through this opening into the members.

The member 5 is preferably made stationary with reference to member 10, and is provided at its lower side 16 with two members 26 to which another indicator can be attached, carrying, for example, the name of the city.

It can be easily seen that with our device whcn the sides of the glass carrying the reference characters is longer or shorter the casing is, accordingly, reduced in size; that is, if the number of references is one less, the member 10 will telescope into the member 5 to the following depression; and if the number of references are two less, it will telescope the two following depressions; that is, the distance between any of the depressions is substantially equal to a character re terence. v

The device is assembled as follows: The glass .25 is first fitted into the member 10 between the flexible members 24, which press the glass against the borders of the open face. The glass is inserted until it abuts against the closed end of the member l0.

The glass is then fitted. into the open end of the member 5 with the open end of the member 10 entering the open end of the member 5. The sides 13 and 14.- of the open end are provided with depressions 27 inalinement with depressions 23, so that when the casing 10 is forced into the casing 5 the depressions 27, coming in contact with the projections -21 and 22, force the said projections, with the resilient members, away from the sides 13 and 14 and allow the casing to be forced in until the glass 25 abuts against the end portions 28 of the member 5. Simultaneously the projections 21 and 22 register with corresponding depressions 23, so that the member 10 cannot telescope in or out. To remove memberlO fromI member 5, the resilient members 19 and 2O must be forced out from the depressions 23.

The reference characters in black on the ground glass, and also the white back of the telescoping case, whengilluminated by the lantern 9 through the opening, ive 'a soft illumination without glare or re ection and can be seen from a very long distance. The lamp 9 can be secured or made integral with the member 5 so that thevibration/of the moving car will not dist-urb the connection in any way.

Having thus described our invention,what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A device of the class described comprising a telescopic casing formed of two telescoping members, one o'f said members having resilient means at the sides thereof; and a projection on each of said resilient means projecting through said sides into said member and-said resilient means normally forcinfr said projection into said casing, the secon of said members having depressions in the sides thereof in alinement with said proj ections and cooperating with the same, each of the depressions having an end wall transverse of the casing length and an inclined bottom, said wall and bottom being so disposed that when the second of said members l is forced into the rst, the' inclined bottom of the depression forces the projection on'`` the resilient member out of the depression and therefore the same does not interfere with the movement of the second member,

but if the second member is made to telescope ont of the first, thesaid projection comes into engagement with the wall of the depression and prevents the outward movement of the second member.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this speciication inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL NALCOTT BROWN.

VILLIAM HENRY MICHAEL. Witnesses F RANKE. PHILLIPS,

J. BROWN. 

